Npower energy bill HIKE: 10% rise for ONE MILLION gas and electric customers

GAS and electricity bills are set to rise for one million customers after npower hiked its prices.

Npower is the third “big six” energy supplier to raise its prices to match gas and electricity regulator Ofgem's increase to the price cap last week. Gas and electricity bills will rise by 10 percent for one million npower customers on its standard variable tariff from April 1, comparison site uSwitch.com reported. The increase will send the company’s standard plan soaring £118 to an average of £1,254.

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And prepayment meter customers will also see a nine percent price rise, an average increase of £106.

It comes after Ofgem said last week that it would hike the price cap for default and standard variable gas and electricity tariffs by £117 to £1,254 a year from April 1 due to rising wholesale costs.

Npower said: "Ofgem has increased the level of the SVT price cap by £117 in response to increased costs being faced by the industry.

"Therefore npower will be mirroring the full level of the increase in our own SVT rate from April 1."

Gas and electricity bills are set to rise for one million customers (Image: GETTY)

On Tuesday, energy company EDF announced its variable tariff would rise by 10 percent from April 1, a day after E.ON announced an average 10.3 percent price increase from the same date.

More than one million companies at EDF and about 1.8 million at E.ON will see their average bills rise to £1,254.

Rik Smith, energy expert at uSwitch.com, said: "These announcements are coming like clockwork, shattering the myth that the cap is guaranteeing a good deal for customers on standard tariffs. It's vital that households don't fall for the price cap con.

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"Since Ofgem announced last week that the level of the cap was going up, over four million customers have already been handed a £490 million confirmed bill increase, kicking in on 1 April. Unfortunately this number is only going to get bigger."

Stephen Murray, energy expert at MoneySuperMarket, warned that up to 11 million customers could face higher prices in April.

Mr Murray said: “Barely is the ink dry on Ofgem’s announcement of a whopping £117 increase on the price cap level than half of the Big Six (npower, EDF and E.ON) have moved their standard/default prices up to that figure.

“The others seem sure to follow, meaning that 11 million households have higher bills waiting for them come April 1 when the new cap level becomes effective."